Announcements

June 25, 2014

Check out our Facebook Page for more information on meetings and activities!!!

Check out New Display at the Falls of the Ohio State Park Lobby!

Corn Island Archaeology LLC of Louisville has just prepared a small display of artifacts collected from Colston Park along Mulberry street in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The display is called "What's in YOUR Toliet??? and features artifacts collected from privies of a late nineteenth century neighborhood.

June 3, 2013

September is Proposed for Kentucky Archaeology Month!

There is a committee in place to develop the establishment of September as Kentucky Archaeology Month. As many of you know, September is also Indiana's Archaeology Month, so we will all be in the proper mindset to get involved on the Kentucky side of the river during this time!

As part of this initiative, we are seeking designs for the first-ever KAM poster! Guidelines have been drafted for submissions of poster designs. Anyone with a graphic or artistic talent out there is encouraged to submit a design. Wouldn't that be great if the winning entry came from FOAS?!! Please contact Anne for the guidelines if you have an interest in submitting an entry. Copies of the guidelines will be available at our next meeting.

Don Janzen Artifact Collection

Dr. Donald Janzen, retired professional archaeologist, has recently transferred his collection of prehistoric artifacts and materials to the care of Anne Bader with the hope that FOAS can utilize the collection and conduct important studies. With this in mind, as of June 11, beginning at 6:30 pm, interested members can meet every Tuesday night at Anne's office to examine and begin work on this important collection. Our first task will be to inventory and organize the materials. We will need to enter that inventory into a computerized database, make sure that every item is appropriately labeled, and properly stored; eventually each artifact must be scanned and/or photographed for permanent recordation. The items are currently in a locked cabinet in a secure facility, but can be made available by appointment for study by those with a valid research interest or agenda.

It is hoped that following the completion of the inventory, that several travelling exhibits can be made for display at local area museums and libraries, on a rotating basis. We will need help developing these displays.

In the future, we will want to conduct some studies of the items, and publish short pieces regarding our findings.

Dr. Janzen is due our sincere appreciation for relinquishing these materials which are so critical to an understanding of the prehistory of the Falls area. It is his wish that the collection be preserved, studied, and made available for the public to enjoy. Thank you, Don!

March 5, 2013

Field Trip to Mammoth Cave Curation Center

On March 9, 2013, FOAS will travel to Mammoth Cave National Park to take a behind-the-scenes-look at the artifact collections recovered from the park. The Mammoth Cave archivist/curator will provide a tour of this state-of-the art collections facility and allow the society to view some of the interesting artifacts recovered from the property over the years.

Those of you who wish to caravan to the Park may join us at the Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center no later than 11:45 am on Saturday. We can carpool or caravan to the national park. We need to leave the Interpretive Center no later than noon. If you prefer to drive to Mammoth Cave on your own, please meet with the rest of the group in the parking lot of the Visitor Center by 1:45. You will need to follow Anne to the curation center from there, so look for us in a corner of the parking lot. Please call 502-592-2355 if you get lost or need directions. Just an FYI, the national park is on Central Time, but these times are all Eastern Time!

The lodge at Mammoth Cave has a nice cafeteria if anyone wants to go down early and have lunch before the tour, or, we can go eat as a group following the tour. We have not planned any actual tours of the cave...that is always an option for those who wish to take advantage of it. Please call Anne for more details, if necessary. This should be fun! >

February 15, 2013

New Officers

Congratulations to our newly elected officers! Bob DeMent has assumed his duties for the next two years as President. Jeff Stoner is now our President-Elect. Bett Etenohan continues her excellent work as Treasurer, and Christina Pfau is also contnuing as Secretary. We really wish to thank these folks for stepping up and offering their time to serve the society. We can be sure they will do a fine job. Thanks as always to Leslie Rumbley for keeping us all informed of group activities and more, and Sundea Murphy who continues her involvement with the organization and functioning of the society as well.

The following message is from our new President.

In 2013, FOAS is faced with challenges to our membership. Although we continue to add new members regularly, we have seen somewhat of an overall decline in numbers, and our meetings are not quite as well attended as in the past. As a member of other local, state, and national organizations I have seen the same decline elsewhere. FOAS has take a 1st step in combating this by joining CoAS in order to learn how these groups have thrived for decades. As a 2nd step Jeff Stoner has offered to Chair a membership committee. Any member that can spare a couple of hours now and then should join with Jeff. As officers and members we all want FOAS to last far into the future. At past meetings and during the Avocational conference last summer we have discussed the role of FOAS in providing training for our members. FOAS could be seen to have 3 types of members, those who live to dig, those who come for the speaker program and the largest group are some where in the middle. FOAS can meet the needs of all 3 groups. For the members that want field work we are open to suggestions about more formal training, for those that value the speakers we will continue to search out the best. Best wishes for 2013 Bob DeMent.

CoAS

Good News! FOAS is now a member of CoAS, the Council of Affiliated Socities! CoAS is affiliated with the Society of American Archaeology (SAA). As a member of this nationwide organization, we will be receiving their newsletter and will have the opportunity to take advantage of networking and guidance that will hopefully help our society grow and prosper.

July 17, 2012

Avocational Conference

Be sure to join us Saturday, July 21, 2012 as FOAS celebrates its 10th Anniversary! We will be sponsoring a small conference celebrating avocational contributions to Ohio Valley Archaeology. The conference is open to the public, and will be help at Riverside, the Farnsley Moremen Landing in southwest Jefferson County, Kentucky outside of Louisville. The address is 7410 Moorman Road, Louisville, KY, 40272. We have a group of speakers representing various avocational societies around the region, other interested lay individuals, and professional archaeologists. The topics include historic and prehistoric archaeology, as well as the role of avocational societies in today's world. Admission is $10, and $5.00 for lunch. Please contact Anne at ab.ciarch@insightbb.com if you wish to pre-register, which we recommend if you want to purchase lunch. Registration begins at 8:30, with introductions at 9:00, followed by the presentations. Email Anne for the agenda!

April 17, 2012

Donation from Richard Lyons

FOAS member Richard Lyons has made a very generous donation to the society. Richard has been accumulating a collection of books and journals on the subject of archaeology for many years. He has decided to donate this library to FOAS. The books will all be stamped "Richard Lyons Collection". They will be stored at Anne's office at Corn Island Archaeology on Watterson Trail in Jeffersontown, Kentucky and will be available to all. You can either drop by the office (I would advise calling first to see if anyone is in at (502) 614-8828) to check out a book. Or if you contact Anne and tell her what you need, the book can be brought to the meeting. We will try to get a list of books typed and on the website soon so that you can know what we have.

This is a truly wonderful contribution to the society, and we thank Richard for the gift. I am confident that the library will be well used and serve to further our mission of public education!

Indiana On-line Journal

Are you folks aware that the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) publishes a journal on Indiana archaeology and that this is available on line? To access the journal, go to their website at the following link:

Our April 14 meeting will be dedicated to the Loop Island project in Floyd County, Indiana. We will begin the day at Loop Island, meeting in the parking lot at 10:00 am. (If it rains, we will need to cancel the field work). At Loop Island, we need to closely examine all exposed stream banks for artifacts, and excavate some additional shovel test probes.
At 1:00, we will meet early at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center library (usual meeting place) to wash, sort, label and bag all the artifacts we have recovered to date from the island. If anyone has any other objects they may have collected from the location over the years, please bring to share with us! At 2:00, our regular meeting time, Mr. Al Goodman will be presenting his Power Point presentation on Loop Island and will address any questions people may have. If there is time, Anne will follow with a short Power Point presentation on the archaeology and historical research we have done so far in relation to our grant.
We need to have a draft report ready by the end of April. If anyone has anything to contribute to the report, please let us know.
Please call Anne if you want to volunteer or have any questions.

Speakers Needed

Anne is actively looking for suggestions for speakers for our monthly meetings. If anyone has any ideas, suggestions, preferences, please let Anne know. We have had great success in tapping into the professionals and knowledgeable avocationals of our area, and we thank them for their support. After 10 years, however, we are looking for additional ideas. Ideas on field trips or other activities are also welcome.

February 24, 2012

Upcoming Avocational Archaeology Conference!!!!:

In recognition of its upcoming tenth year anniversary as an organization, the Falls of the Ohio Archaeological Society plans to host a conference celebrating the significant contributions of avocationals to the field of archaeology. The conference will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing in Louisville.
Papers can be on any topic, both historic and prehistoric in nature. Presentations by professionals and students are also welcome if they contain a significant public component.
Please submit brief abstracts at ciarch@insightbb.com no later than March 15, 2012. Presentations should be no longer than 20 minutes. Posters will also be accepted.
Submitted papers will be published in Currents of Change, Journal of the Falls of the Ohio Archaeological Society.
Details on conference fees, lodging, and meals will be made available at a later date.
Questions can be directed to Anne at 502-592-2355 at ab.ciarch@insightbb.com.

Loop Island Work

Work continues at Loop Island Wetlands in Floyd County. FOAS volunteers were at the site this past week and identified the remains of what appears to have been an early twentieth century farmstead. Several prehistoric items were found along the banks. While backhoe trenching was done, in accordance with our grant from the state, the cultural deposits along the river appear to be too deep to access by machinery. If anyone in the Society has any artifacts relating to this location, you are encouraged to bring them to the next meeting so that they can be photographed and documented. The next round of work at the island will be posted here. Please call Anne if you want to volunteer or have any questions.

March Meeting

On March 10, at our usual meeting, Richard and Nancy Ross Stallings will be presenting. Both of these archaeologists work at the Louisville office of AMEC Environment and Infrastructure. Bone artifacts and ecofacts will be the topic. Richard will speak on the subject of bone artifacts and use wear, while Nancy will address faunal analysis. These are topics we have not addressed before, so should be very interesting.

Book Fair

Our first book "fair" went really well. We sold over 40 books. We will do this again several times during the year, and it will become a component of Archaeology Day.So, save your books and magazines on archaeology and history, and consider donating some of those to the next book fair, with the proceeds going to FOAS.

February 15, 2011

Upcoming archaeology presentation:

On Feb. 19 at 2 p.m., Dr. Michael Collins will give a presentation at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, Clarksville, IN. This presentation is being sponsored by the Falls of the Ohio Archaeological Society and is entitled "The Prehistory of the Gault Site in a Hemispheric Perspective."

Come hear Dr. Collins talk about his ongoing research at the Gault site. Located in central Texas this site has yield a rich collection of Clovis artifacts dating from 13,300 to 12,800 years ago. Research at this site is redefining what we know about these early Americans, pointing to a more settled way of life than previously believed.

Dr. Collins is a Research Professor in Anthropology at Texas State University in San Marcos and Research Associate, Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at University of Texas, Austin.

We learned yesterday that the Kentucky Heritage Council awarded FOAS a grant to conduct additional research on the Conrad Pottery Site in Jeffersontown. This is just terrific news! More details later as plans unfold, but we invite all of you to participate in this project which will span the better part of a year. There will be opportunities for volunteer work both in the field and the lab. Also, there is money available to pay for some tasks. We need to plan well to ensure that the funded tasks are distributed fairly to all those who may be interested. Please let Anne know if you can help out on a volunteer basis, and if you are interested in working during the week for an hourly rate. This award demonstrates good faith in our organization and we certainly want to put forth our best effort on this project.

Indian Head Rock Returned to Kentucky

An article that appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal of Friday November 5 reports that the long controversy over Indian Head Rock has been resolved with the return of the object to Greenup County, Kentucky. The rock will not be returned to its original location because that area has been "compromised", the newspaper reports. The final disposition of the stone was not made clear in the article.

November 4, 2010

FOAS Applies for Grants

FOAS begins a new phase in its development as we decided to apply for two grants to conduct archaeological research. The first of these was to undertake an archaeological survey of Loop Island in Floyd County, Indiana on property owned by Mr. Al Goodman and with his support. Many of us know the poteential for significant archaeological and historic sites in this location at the mouth of Silver Creek, including early shipbuilding, a famous dueling ground, and prehistoric occupation. The grant application was made to the Division of Archaeology and HIstoric Preservation. A second grant proposal was submitted to the Kentucky Heritage Council for work at the Conrad Redware Pottery Site in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. This redware pottery operated from 1803 until perhaps 1837. Recent exploratory investigations suggest that the kilns are still present and intact. Numerous examples of Conrad's wares have been identified. These opportunities reflect our first attempts to obtain outside funding, and it will be a learning experience for us. We are eligible to apply for these funds through our status as a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedeicated to public involvement and education. If we should be lucky enough to win either of these grants, we will be relying on the membership of FOAS to assist with the excavation, analysis, and report preparation. Wish us luck!

On a related note, Dr. George Crothers has applied for a similar grant with the Kentucky Heritage Council to address the need for investigation at Flint Island. If successful, Dr. Crothers has asked for our assistance.

Visit by Michael Collins

Just an update on the status of the planned visit by Dr. Michael Collins to the area. It is now anticipated that he will be speaking to us in February 2011. We have not abandoned plans for his visit; scheduling conflicts dictated a change of plans. More later as details become known.

December Meeting

We would like to do something different for our December meeting. We are planning on having a "Christmas" dinner at the Market Street Inn. Details for the food are still in the planning stage, but we expect to have a slide presentation that captures our "adventures" together over the past eight years. Stay tuned.

Upcoming Elections

We need to have a slate for our ballot this month. Please come prepared to serve and nominate your fellow members...especially those that do not show up at the meeting! Seriously, we have several openings for officers that need to be filled, and we welcome new candidates. Remember, you will not be doing this without help. Anne and Sundea and others will stay very involved in the whole process. See the email from Christina Pfau for more details.

July 12, 2010

Happy Birthday to FOAS!

This month marks the eight anniversary of the founding of FOAS. Thanks to all you who have stayed with us through these eight years, and welcome to all the newly arrived members! We have had some turnover in membership over time, but still attract new folks monthly. If you have not yet visited us, feel free to drop by the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana on the second Saturday of the month from 2 to 4 and see what we are all about.

July 7, 2010

Dr. Michael Collins to Speak in October, 2010!

In October, Dr. Michael Collins will be addressing FOAS! Dr. Collins was formerly (during the late 1970s) with the University of Kentucky. Some of you may recall that he worked on the archaeology of the southwest Jefferson County Floodwall project where he excavated and reported on four Archaic Sites including Villiers, Longworth-Gick, Spadie, and Rosenberger.

Dr. Collins, who has appeared on the History Channel, is now with the University of Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL) at Austin where he has become well known for his pre-Clovis and Paleoindian work. Dr. Collins’s work has focused on the Gault Site (41BL323) in southernmost Bell County, Texas where he has been working since 1998. The site has been at various times since 1929. The Gault site may be the largest Clovis period excavation in the country, producing more than 60 percent of known Clovis points. Since 1990 investigations in a small area near one of the springs have brought to light at least twenty-one small weathered cobbles of limestone with elaborate engravings on their weathered surfaces, apparently associated with Clovis points dating to about 11,200 B.P. These constitute the earliest securely dated engravings in North America.

Stay tuned to learn more about the precise date and time of this presentation. We may need to move into the auditorium or schedule for a Friday or Saturday evening.

New Journal Volume Published!

Be sure to check out the latest in our journal series Currents of Change. This newest volume provides the technical papers presented at our 2005 Lithics Conference. The volume should be ready for distribution at the July meeting.

May 9, 2009

Check out the schedule of events page

There is an updated list of upcoming speakers and events on our Schedule page. Check it out....there are some very interesting speakers coming to talk to us throughout the rest of the year. As always, if there is a topic you'd like to hear about, or someone you would recommend to be a speaker, please let us know and we will try to retain them.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunity

Cheryl Munson of Indiana University wants to get the word out that an archaeological project along the Indiana Greenway will be starting in a few short weeks and she needs volunteers. Since the work will be done at or near known archaeological sites, you are sure to find the experience to be both interesting and educational. Cheryl will provide us a firm start date as it becomes available. Let's have a good turn out to help her on this much needed project.

The Jewell Site National Register Nomination

You may recall our presentation on the Jewell Site in Barren County, Kentucky. Mr. Keith Keeney of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has provided us with the following information regarding the progress of the efforts to list this highly significant site to the National Register of Historic Places:

On December 9, 2008 the KY State Review Board for the National Register of Historic Places approved the nomination of the Jewell Site Complex at Barren River Lake, Kentucky. The nomination was prepared and presented by the Louisville District-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Keith Keeney) and Corn Island Archaeology, LLC (Mindi King Wetzel and Anne Tobbe Bader). The nomination was signed by Mr. Mark Dennan, the Kentucky State Historic Officer, and then forwarded to the Army Corps Headquarters in Washington DC where it was signed by the Agency's Federal Preservation Officer. The nomination was then sent to the Department of Interior for review and listing. The nomination is now in a 30-day period for public comment. We can expect to hear in the near future that this site has been added to the Register.

The Jewell Site Complex is a Mississippian sociopolitical center consisting of sites 15BN21, 15BN349, 15BN384, and 15BN390 located on property owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Barren and Allen counties, Kentucky. It is the single most significant prehistoric site at Barren River Lake, and based on currently available data, it is the largest and most complex of the Mississippian sites in the area. The 30-acre complex consists of a platform mound; at least two stone box cemeteries; at least six distinct habitation areas; and a possible plaza. It is located on a peninsula of land at the confluence of Barren River and Peters Creek on lands leased to the Kentucky State Parks Department. The complex has historically yielded, and continues to provide significant information regarding Mississippian settlement and habitation of the region.

April 30, 2009

MAY FOAS MEETING!!!

Our regular meeting this month will feature Dr. Jocelyn Turner of Indiana University. Some of you will recall Jocelyn who helped us out considerably during the Meyer Site excavations. Jocelyn, who holds a PhD in biology, will be speaking to us about the field of archaeobotany, the study of plant remains from archaeological sites. This study sometimes allows reconstruction of past environments, as well as determining the patterns of wild food use patterns prehistorically, and finally, the domestication of plants.

Custer Site Excavations

We have returned to the Custer Site! Be sure to check out this link to see a schedule of upcoming field days as they become known. There is no fieldwork planned this weekend due to the Derby and forecasted bad weather, but check in for the following week.

April 8, 2009

APRIL FOAS MEETING!!!

Our regular meeting this month will feature Sandy Brue from the National Park Service. Sandy will be speaking to us about the recent archaeology at the Knob Creek Site in LaRue County, Kentucky. This is the site of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home near Hodgenville. Sandy will also speak to us about a recent fossil survey done at the site. This is a very timely topic and a rare opportunity to hear first-hand about this exciting research.

Also, Saturday is Earth Day at the Falls. The Park may be crowded and parking might be difficult, so plan to come early....and take in Earth Day as well!

Paul Olliges in the News!

Be sure to check out this link to see our own Paul Olliges in the headlines. Paul has been named Indiana Volunteer of the Year...a well deserved honor.

Start checking the website once again....this will be updated each week, and the schedule should be current. Look for opportunities to do some volunteer work as the weather warms up. Please submit any newsworthy items to Anne at anne@falls-society.org.

April 16, 2008

APRIL MEETING CLARIFICATION AGAIN!!!

We are in error reporting that Jeannie Burke will be with us for our April meeting to discuss historic artifacts. Jeannie will in fact be with us in MAY. Our meeting will therefore begin at its regular time of 2:00 at the Falls Interpretive Center.

However, this is also Earth Day, as we have previously brought to your attention. This will be a very busy and crowded event at the Center. We will NOT be able to park in our usual places. Parking must occur elsewhere, such as at Ashland Park along the river. People must walk into the Center from there. If someone needs to do so, they can be dropped off at the front door.

>BR>
Finally, we will have a shortage of chairs due to the event. If anyone has a sling chair, lawn chair, or folding chair, you might want to bring that along with you tp guaranatee a seat. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Perhaps you should consider coming a bit early to navigate the confusion!

APRIL MEETING CLARIFICATION!!!

There is a lot of confusion regarding April's meeting....this will hopefully clear things up. No meeting on the second Saturday of the month due to Thunder Over Louisville. At one time, the first Saturday was considered in its place. But it is actually the THIRD Saturday, April 19th, that the meeting will be held. Also, please consider coming over early with your historic artifacts. Jeannie Burke will be hosting a short session on identifying historic artifacts at 1:00 that day, before the regular meeting. Jeannie calls this session "You Show Me Yours, and I'll Show you Mine".

Also, artifact processing will now occur at Anne's new office at 10320 Watterson Trail in Jeffersontown (Do NOT confuse this with the place where she previously worked and where we occasionally washed artifacts in the past. The days of dragging all those boxes and tubs are over. Anyone who wants to work on artifacts before the meeting can show up at Anne's office any time after 9:00.

MARCH MEETING CANCELLED!!!

Due to the heavy snowfall, our meeting on March 8 is cancelled!

Also, be aware that our April meeting has been moved to the THIRD Saturday of the month because Thunder Over Louisville will take place on the second Saturday, and the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center will be closed. So, for APRIL ONLY, we will meet on the FIRST Saturday at the regular time.

February 7, 2008

New Archaeological Society in Meade County

Saturday, February 2, was the first meeting of the new Meade County Archaeological Society! The meeting was very well attended by some 65 people. FOAS member Jerry Fischer was instrumental in starting the society, which will meet at the Library Annex in Brandenburg on the first Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. Saturday's meeting included several speakers beginning with Jerry Fischer and his students from the St. Nicholas Academy; Dr. Fred Coy on rock art of Kentucky; and Rick Brown who spoke on the chert resources of Gas Well Hollow. Several collectors were present to share their collections. Upcoming speakers will be announced on this website. It is hoped that FOAS will work together on upcoming projects with this new society. Congratulations to them all!

Artifact Processing Continues on Saturdays before our Meetings

Anyone who is free to help out with washing, sorting, and labelling artifacts is welcome to join us on Saturday before our regular meeting at the Interpretive Center. We should be there around 12:30 this week.

Scheule of Events has been Updated

Check out the Schedule page. This has been updated for 2008. As you can see, we still have some slots open. If you have any good suggestions for a speaker, please let us know and we will try to scheule them.